Naruto: Spirits of Fire
by Kain Oblivion
Summary: Takes place after Sasuke's rescue.Naruto fails to bring back his friend and now faces the new challenges in his life.(multiple pairings: NaruHina SasuSaku others, Pg13 for later chapters)
1. The fox's Question

**NARUTO **

_Spirits of Fire_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in naruto

**Part1: The fox's question**

The Sun shined in the sky as the birds flew through it singing Mother Nature's song hapilly. Their wings wide open left invisible rifts through the air and casted shadows in the concrete ground beneath them. It was a glourious morning.

In a big room headed at the top of Konoha a women rose up from her bed with a not so friendly face and almost closed eyes. Her blonde hair and beautiful skin maked her look like she was around mid twenties, the flower of age. She covered her half naked body with a light purple silk robe, which matched her little tatoo in the forehead. Then walked slowly in the darkness to the small bathroom at the other side of the bedroom. Her hand reached the wall and light appeared.

God I hate my life. – She thought as she looked in the mirror as she always did in her whole life in every morning when she woke up. She took the robe and the little silk cloth she weared and entered in the shower. Hot water started running trough her skin making her shiver and relax. Fifteen minutes late she walked off the bathroom covered only in a towel. She dried her hair and dressed a new pair of clothes and headed to the window that she opened in a quick movemente making the light and hair run wildly in the room. She closed her eyes with the strenght of the light making them habituate to the impact, after that she looked to the city and said:

Good morning Konoha.

As she walked through the giant building lots of people complimented her: "Good morning Tsunade-sama", "Good morning Lady Okage", "Have you slept well Hokage-sama?". She smiled and bowed her head in compliment for those who talked to her. Being hokage was now less hard as it looked in the beginning, but there was something that bothered her heart. She headed to the streets taking the direction of the hospital.

Meanwhile in a dark room a boy was feelling the water by his knees. The air was heavy and it had a smell of death in the air. He knew where he was.

"AHHH CRAP!" - He thought – "Not again!"

He dropped his head into his chest and expelled the air from his lungs in an expression of frustration. Then from the depths of the darkness a strong, rude voice spoke:

**"Hey Kid. Are you gonna stand there all the time? I didn't call you just for you to stand there with an idiot face!"**

Naruto turned his head into the direction and started walking in its direction...

"What the heck do you want you stupid fox?"- He asked almost screaming

In front of Naruto was a huge cage covered by darkness and an orange-red form hide in the end of that. Two huge orange eyes slashed him from head to feet, alomost as looking to the inside, a malificent grin formed in the monster's face, then the Kyuubi spoke:

**"How are you little brat?"**

Naruto looked with his confused grin to the Kyuubi.

"Wha... What the... What do you mean with that?"

**"What do you mean with what? I asked you how are you? Just that are you gonna answer or what?"**

Naruto answered with a mad face:

"What the hell do you mean with that? I'm in a bed all covered with bandages, I failed to take my friend back, I failed to help the girl I like, I endeded up beaten by Sasuke and now to help all this shit I'M TALKING TO YOU! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN HOW AM I? YOU NEVER CARED ABOUT ME, I'M JUST ANOTHER HUMAN SCUMBAG TO YOU, ANOTHER MEAT BALL THAT IF YOU COULD YOU WOULD EAT AT THE FIRST OPURTUNITY! ISN'T IT TRUTH?"

The kyuubi looked closely to Naruto then calmly he spoke:

**"First of all I see that by screaming like that you are almost okay. Second I know you failed, and it's truth also that I don't give a shit for that, but that doesn't mean that I do not care about you."**

Naruto's jaw dropped

**"Yes you heard it right. I care about you, your my host. If you die I'll have to leave in a freekin corpse for the rest of the bloody eternity."**

Naruto recomposed himself after hearing this

"I should have understood it at the first time."

He sat down a little far from the cage just for the case that the Kyuubi tried something. Looking for the infinite Darkness that were those corridors maked him remember yesterday's happenings:

"_Then I shall break that bound..._"- the words balanced in his head

The silence in the chamber was confortating, only the heavy breathing from he Kyuubi was heard and it was peaceful.

**"Hey kid!"**

Naruto rose his head and looked into the cage

"What now?"

**"Why did you do it?"**

"What?"

**"What you did?"**

"What? Screaming with you?" – he raise an eyebrow in confusion

**"No you asshole, what you did for the black haired kid... the What's-his-name? Sasuke right?"**

Naruto's eyes opened wildly in a mix of confusion and surprise. What did the Kyuubi meant with that.

"What do you mean? What are you saying?"

**"Are you deaf or just more stupid than yesterday? I'm asking you why you went after that Sasuke brat after what he did to you and to your friends?"**

You said it... He's my friend and also I made a promise to Sakura-chan that I would bring him back... and I will do it. Even if I kill myself to".

The Kyuubi rose his eyebrows and smiled with the answer from the boy. It wasn't surprise for him since the boy always kept this strong will, the desire of triumph above everything.

**"I see..." –** The Kyuubi answered – "**Hey boy, could you explain me something?"**

Naruto rose his head surprised by the Kyuubi's question

"What can I explain you. You're a Demon from the beggining of the ages... What could a regular kid like me explain to you?"

**"Friend." – **he said – "**What is... a friend?"**

Naruto was shocked for the milesime time since he woke up in that place. An ancestral Demon didn't know what friendship was...

"You are a Demon who has lived for thousands of years and you don't know what friendship is?"

**"First of all I'm not that old. We Demons do not get old as you humans you see, our biological system is altered thanks to our Chakra. I live for about 2000 human years, but in Demon years I'm only 27. Of course that thanks to our life time our 27 years equals to a lot of experience together. The second thing is... that I'm a DEMON, and we Demons only care one thing: Destruction. It's our role in Nature. We destroy, we kill, we anihilate things to make space to anothers, and we destroy those again. That's all we care about. In our language Friend is a word that I never heard before."**

Naruto was both amazed, confused and scared. For the first time he was talking with the Fox Demon without screaming with him and/or being threatned by him , but at the same time the idea of something as old as that being don't knowing what a friend was, was something just too wicked to think about.

"You don't know what a friend is?" - The Kyuubi shoke his head – "Let me see... Did you know some other creatures as yourself, other Demons?"

The Kyuubi thought for a second – "**Yes, some demons. Why?"**

"What did you do with those Demons?"

His response was quick: - **"I killed them."**

Naruto opened his eyes in shock: - "You WHAT?"

**"I killed them. They attacked me, tried to stole my food away, or just for the fun and I killed them."**

That esplains a lot you know. How many Demons still exist?"

**"How can I know. I'm trapped in a boy's body since twelve years ago!"**

"Okay but when you were free, how many were in the planet?"

**"I don't know. Maybe one, or none."**

"You mean you might be the last Demon alive!"

**"Yeah! Isn't that nice, your the host of the last living Demon. And I'm here rotting when I could be devoring something or detroying cities in a beautiful sunshining afternoon!" – **The Kyuubi laughed with sinister face.

Naruto backed one step with the surprise. That was more wicked then what he could imagine. How could someone, something, be that evil...

"JUST SHUT THE HELL UP YOU STUPID FOX!" – he yelled – "Your more stupid than I imagined. How can you do not live with friends. I grew up without friends, i was unhappy, I was stupid, I was an asshole you know, It's not that I changed much but one thing changed completely... Now I'm happy. Now I have persons that care for me, and that I care about. Maybe and just maybe that's why you are trapped inside me, maybe that's why you rotting inside me until all your chakra dissipates in me. Stupid animal."

He turned his back to the giant animal and started to walk away quickly when the Kyuubi talked:

**"Wait kid!" –** the Kyuubi spoke quiclky – "**Look I don't know what's going on. I don't know what to say, but please stay. I want to know what that means and why did you did that. Tell me. Why the hell did you fight against Sasuke even knowing that you could kill yourself, why did you continued even after he tried to rip your heart from your chest? Tell me that is just making me go crazy. It doesn't have a rational thought in that."**

Of course there isn't any rational thought in this."

**"Then why? Why do it? If it's not rational?"**

You want to know what a friend is stupid fox?"

**"I already told you that I want."**

"Okay." – Naruto sighed – "A friend is someone you love. Someone you care for. Someone for who would you do anthing to see him smile, to not see him cry, to help him, to prevent him from getting harmed."

**"Even get killed?"**

Naruto didn't answered for a second, then he answered with a firm tone:

"Yes. Even get killed"

**"But it doesn't make sense. Why? Why getting yourself in danger for someone that you don't even know what he thinks?"**

Oh! But I know what he's thinking if he's my friend..."

**"You know?"**

Yeah! Sure I do."

**"Then what is it?"**

He's thinking in protecting me, because he's my friend. And friends protect each other."

**"And what if he's not your friend?"**

I don't care. I'm his friend, that's enough for me."

Naruto turned around facing the Kyuubi with his blue sky eyes making direct contact with the giant orange evil orbs in the dark.

It was like something has hitten the fox with a spell directly in his stomach. Those eyes, that speech, the way the words were spoken... It was like seeing a smaller version of "The" man in front of him.

It's called Love you see. If you tried not to destroy everything you see in your way you would already know it for a long time. It's the strangenst feeling in the world. It makes you be happy, but it makes you want to see the other persons happy. It makes you run, jump, fly higher than anything and everything. It makes you confident but it makes you weak also. But in the end it makes you win all there is to win. That's why I tried to stop Sasuke. That's why I tried to help Sakura-chan. It's because I love them. Like my brothers. Their my friends, their precious to me. I won't go back on my word, it's my ninja way, you already know that, especially in their case. Sasuke is my friend. I will return him to Konoha, even if it takes all my Life and my Death, but I will do it. That I can assure you."

With this last sentence the room went silent. The Kyuubi continued to look into Naruto firmly, without moving an inch. Like he was seeing behind him, seeing through him, stuying, analising, trying to identify something that he could grab in all that nonsense he just heard. But there was nothing in there. Nothing he could recognize. Not a single inch of rationality to recognize. Why should somebody risk his own sake for the good of another. Why? WHY? WHY?

**"You can go now kid. I need to be alone."**

Naruto turned his back as he responded to the Kyuubi.

"Whatever stupid fox."

**"You know that I'm an ancient spirit don't you?"**

"Yeah, and?..."

**"You should call me kyuubi you know..."**

"And you should call me Naruto you know, because I might have only twelve but this is my body you're living in."

The Kyuubi grunted and turned his back to the boy facing now the Darkness of his cage.

Naruto sighed and walked away from the room vanishing into the darkness.

After disapearing The Kyuubi turned around and faced the dark alleyway full of water:

**"If it was bad enough to face you before now I have to face this kid. He couldn't look more than you disn't he?"**

The room nothing answered, no sound was heard in the corridors of that cave. But in a distant dark room a smile was formed in response to the Kyuubi's question.

End of chapter 1

Please read and review


	2. Ramen in the Hospital

**NARUTO**

_Spirits of Fire_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Naruto

**Part2:Ramen in the Hospital**

The Konoha Hospital wasstill calm at that hour. The white walls transmitted the quiet moments of the new morning reflecting the sun's rays in a simple way. Not even an insect was heard in the corridors. The nurses walked through the building, some carrying clean towels and clothes, other carrying medicines for the injured in battle or just for the sick ones. Some medical-nins were already working in reaserching for new potions, and the classes would soon begin in the lower levels where they were given to the future medical-nins of Konoha.

Tsunade entered the building complimenting the few nurses and medics who saw her. She climbed the stairs to the fifth floor and headed to the room 256, where a young genin of the leaf had just woke up.

Naruto opened his eyes to the few raylights that penetrated in his room.

"Stupid damn Fox" – he thought

The door opened with few noises. Yet it was enough to drive the boy's attention to it. Tsunade entered the room quietly worried not to wake him up, it was then that she heard him

"OI old-hag. What's up?"

She looked to the bed and found an already fresh woke up Naruto with his regular foxy grin. She smilled surprised by seeing him so well but let it slip quickly returning to her old self.

"Don't push it Naruto. You can be all covered in bandages but that doesn't mean I don't know many ways to kick your ass without you even notice."

A huge sweatdrop filled Naruto's forehead...

Tsunade walked through the room smilling.

"So how are you? How do you feel?"

"I'm okay. I don't feel any pain. Guess Kyuubi's must been doing his work really well ain't he?"

"I guess so. Let me see you"

She aproached him and sitted in the bed by his side. In a soft way she placed her left hand on his chest and her right one on his forehead. Small glows of chakra appeared evolving both her hands. She closed her eyes and felt Naruto's body, staying in that position about ten minutes. The n opening her eyes and collecting her hands together she spoke

"You are okay. We can take the bandages off and you can go home by lunch time"

"Great!"- he almost screamed in joy – "I was almost killing myself in boredom in this room"

Tsunade smilled. That was Naruto after all. You could run him over wuth 1000 chidoris and he would still be standing up in the end. She recovered her firm face again, after all she had some serious things to talk with him.

"Naruto" – she started – "I guess Jiraya already talked to you." – Naruto nodded – "Very well. You will be training with him for the next three years. He told me he would be sending reports of your trips. So I guess you are in good, yet very perverted, hands."

Naruto grinned to her comment about Jiraya. Tsunade continued firmly...

"Yesterday Sakura headed to my office and asked me to train her. I will take her as my pupil as Jiraya is taking you. You gave her strenght with your speech yesterday, she is decided to became stronger and to help you bringing back Sasuke." – She became more sinister in her speech – "That's what I want to talk with you about"

Naruto looked firmly to Tsunade.

"Sasuke became officially a missing-nin. He's a criminal. He became a traitor to all of us. He became a traitor and a danger to the Leaf itself." – She stood up, walking to the window and watching as the streets showed that more people were already in thei're daily jobs – "I want you to know this Naruto. If there is someone that can bring him back it's you. You know how is to live without Love, to live alone being feared and hated everywhere. And yet you dominated your Darkness. You reigned over the pain, the fear, the Hate. Sasuke didn't do it. He embraced Darkness because Darkness was the only thing he had left..."

Naruto waited looking closely to her. He already knew all of that, it was not anything new to him. After a short pause she continued her speech.

"There is a major difference between you and him. Do you know what it is?"

He waved his head negatively.

"He lost everything once, while you... You never had anything to loose. He saw everything he had fade away in blows by someone he held most close to his heart. While you... You fought to have anything in your entire life. You rejected darkness when Darkness embraced you. He... He embraced it even having more then he ever asked in his entire life..." – She looked at him – "I'll count with you to do it... Uzumaki Naruto future Sixth Hokage of the Konoha." – she grinned

Naruto looked at her with in amazement. He then understood what she wanted to tell him... She knew he could do it, because he has done it with her. He smiled and quickly jumped to her arms.

"WHAT THE HELL..." – She screamed but when she felt the boy embracing her she couldn't resist and retrieved him his hug

"Tsunade-baachan" - She growled. - "Take good care of Sakura-chan will'ya?"

She smiled hearing this – "Yes Naruto, I will."

He backed off from the hug and looked at her. – "What time is it?"

She answered – "about 10. Why?"

"NANI!" – he screamed – "hey baa-chan can you take my bandages now? The ramen store must be opening now and it would feel good a hot bowl of Ramen"

A huge sweat drop apeared in Tsunade's head.

"Okay. I'll take you bandages off" – she said with a smile on her face

"YEAH!" – Naruto rejoiced

Meanwhile a girl with short black hair entered through the hospital doors. She carried a large bag full of food. She looked around trying to look for a medic or a nurse until she spoted one.

"Excuse me..." – she said softly. - "U...uzu...maki Naru...to's room, please". – she said with her cheeks turning red.

The nurse smiled and answered softly – "Fifth floor, room 256"

"Thank you." – she said turning away and walking to the stairs

Hinata couldn't believe she was doing that. She could only be crazy to visit Naruto in the hospital. Where dis she has here mind? Quickly her cousin's words built in her head "If you love him. If you care for him just go. He proved that he cares for you, even if it is just as a friend. He'll be happy to see you." Her expression became more closed - "Does he care for me? Does he hate me? Do I annoy him?" – she thought it was then she raised her head and observed she was alredy in front of room 256.

"Come on you old-hag! Hurry up" – Naruto said impatiently

She punched him in the head – "SHUT UP! I'm trying to concentrate here."

He answered with a tear in his eye - "It's just a couple of bandages... Don't tell me your eye sight is getting worse with the age?"

She punched him again in the same spot but now more strongly

"OUCH!" – he screamed

"Now shut up or the next one will send you to the Sand Village"

Hinata stood near the door of room 256. Her heart was beating wildly like a huge drum machine being played insanely by someone. She stood there with her mind shooting questions like a kunais being fired by Tenten.

"What do I do?" – She asked herself.

It was then that she heard it. It was Naruto's voice from the inside... And there was someone with him. – "Sakura." – She thought sadly. No, it was someone else. She concentrated on the voice, it was a woman's voice. It was a woman's voice... maybe a nurse or a medic. She breathed deeply and without making a noise she opened the door, just the enough for her to see the inside of the room.

In the bed were a blonde women and Naruto. She was softly removing the bandages of his body and he was grinning while touching his head with his hand. She stood there for seconds staring at him. He was only with the hospital's pants on. The other half of his body was naked. He never have seen him half naked, she never even imagined him that way. But now that she looked she could see that he had a good body, even just for a young boy's body. He was so beautiful, she thought. The windows were now open to enter the wind and the su, and it was like the light moved across his body fusing with his shape, like they were one being. She felt her cheeks become more warm and red, but she didn't care. She was looking to an angel. She was looking to the boy she loved.

It was then that a voice woke her up.

"Yes!" – Tsunade's voice was heard.

She woke up from her dream just to realise she was spotted. She quickly stood away from the door in panic. She felt her knees crumbling down and her mouth become dry as the door opened and the blonde women stood in front of her.

"Well hello young lady. You must be Hyuuga Hinata, right? I think we never saw each other before. I'm..."

"Hokage-sama!" – Hinata said in an amazed tone of voice

"Well I see you already know who I am. You must be here to see Naruto. Come in. I was just taking the bandages from his body so that he could go home."

"HINATA-CHAN!" – Naruto screamed in amazement – "What are you doing here?"

She looked through Tsunade's figure to see Naruto with his eyes wide open and a large smile in his face. Her cheeks blushed even more.

"Naruto-Kun... I...I brought... you some... some things..." - she said while looking to the ground.

"I will leave you two now." – Tsunade smiled to Hinata and blinked an eye in understanding. – "When Hinata-San leaves I'll be back to finish it... Even better, why don't you finish it Hinata?"

Hinata opened her eyes in shock – "Finish?" – she asked

"Removing Naruto's bandages. I think that if he stands in this hospital for more five minutes he'll just die or boredom" – she answered

"NANI!"- Naruto screamed

"And besides taking some bandages off is not a big deal anyway. I'll be going now. You behave Naruto, or I'll be back to kick you ass."

"You wish old-hag" – he answered with his foxy grin

Tsunade let Hinata enter the room and closed the door softly leaving a shocked and without any kind of reaction Hyuuga in the middle of the room.

The two genins faced each other, without knowing what to say. Both a little embarassed from that situation. Several seconds passed, which seemed like an eternity, until he broke the silence.

"Why don't you sit?" – He pointed his side in the bed

She nodded and walked with her head facing the floor until the bed. She sat by Naruto's left side without taking her eyes from the floor.

The silence reigned in the room for more several minutes until she took the courage to ask:

"How are you Naruto-Kun?"

He looked at her and smiled – "I'm okay already. Tsunade-baachan was taking my bandages off so I could go homethis afternoon."

Hinata looked at him and smiled – "I'm glad you are okay!" – She looked to the bag and remebered – "Oh! I forgot! I brought you something to eat."

She took two bags from the big bag, a small paper one and a plastic one. Naruto's eyes opened in surprise:

"Is that **RAMEN**?" – he shouted

Hinata smiled – "I thought you would like it"

What followed next left the Hyuuga girl without a drop of blood in the body, because it made it all run to her face. Naruto grabbed her and gave her a huge huge, leaving the Hyuuga without breath. He grabbed the ramen and the sticks and started devouring it. She couldn't believe, Naruto hugged her. Maybe he liked her a little after all. It was then that his voice woke her up

"Hinata-chan, would you help me taking the bandages off?" – He asked.

She snapped back to reality just to feel her cheeks warming up even more:

"ban...bandages?" – she asked shily

"Yes my bandages. Tsunade-baachan said that you could help me. Here just follow what she was doing?"

He grabbed her hand and putted it in his back. Hinata's almost fainted with thsi. She was touching Naruto's back... and it felt great. He's skin was soft and very white, not as pale as her own, but beautiful. she slipped her hand through his back and catched the fainted bandage from the bed and stareted to remove it softly from his body.

"Thanks for the ramen Hinata-chan. It's great." – he said in a happy tone of voice.

She smilled in return while a thought run through her head – "If this is a dream do not wake me up".

End of chapter 2

Please read and review (thanks for the good critics guys I apreciate it. I'm sorry if this chapter isn't in the same quality as the other but it's 2 am in the morning and I'm just too much tired to read it from the beginning and correct it.

Quick notes: this follows the later chapters of the manga, after the decision of Jiraya to train naruto. If I'm not mistaken Hinata was not presented to Tsunade. If she was the hell with it. This is my fic anyways )


	3. Fight at the Hyuuga Manor, farewell gift...

**NARUTO**

_Spirits of Fire_

Disclaimer: Blablabla,I don't own Naruto,Blablabla...

**Part3:Fight at the Hyuuga manor, a farewell gift, preparations and goodbyes**

It was around noon when Naruto left the Hospital with Hinata. By that time the city was full woke up and working at 100 percent. Near the hospital some kids played football in the park while some old men played shougi and go under the sakura trees. Naruto and Hinata walked down the streets passing by many stores where some housewifes were doing the shops for the week, or maybe just for the lunch.

Hinata and Naruto continued to the main avenue where it could already be seen the movement, thankfully to the restaurant and food-shops in there. Many ninjas could be seen heading to their favorite places to have a meal or just to relax from a late mission with their comrades.

Since they took off from the hospital their walk was in silence. Both looking to each other without having the other to notice, hoping for any of the to strike a conversation. It was Naruto who after a long period of time, and almost in the middle of Konoha's main avenue who broke the silence.

"Thanks again for the Ramen Hinata-chan, it was really good. Did you bought it at Ichiraku's Ramen?" – He asked with a smile.

Her cheeks blushed again while she nodded negatively and mumbled the answer with a little smile in her lips – "No, I did it."

Naruto was caught in surprise – "You did it?" – he asked with a grin – "Wow! It was really good Hinata. Neji must be a lucky fella to have someone at home who can cook so well!"

"I'm still... still learning, so it's our housewife who cooks most of time." – she answered

"I think you'll be a great cooker Hinata-chan. May I make myself invited to have a lunch in one of these..." – He stopped his sentence before he finished it.

"Naruto-kun... Is anything wrong?" – she asked

A couple of kids ran past them with some ice-cream in their hands, cheering and laughing. Naruto looked at them when they passed by him. They shouldn't be more than 8 years old each one. They were three boys and two girls. They seemed like they were having a real fun. He smiled but his eyes didn't followed his lips.

Hinata seeing her "angel" with sad eyes looked to the ground and had a deep breath in silence, then she asked. – "Naruto-kun."

He looked at her as he would have been woke up from a dream.

"Is everything alright?" – she asked with a conforting look in her white eyes.

Naruto looked at her deeply. Hinata, maybe one of the few persons who ever showed affection for him, who really understood him. He couldn't lie to her, it wouldn't be right. He smiled and answered – "Well... You see when those kids passed by... The made me remind of when I was younger. When I had their age. It wasn't that while ago it's true, they must be what? 8 maybe 9 years old. They were laughing and cheering... they seemed so happy." – Naruto looked to the ground and continued to walk through the street – "They reminded me when I didn't have anything of what I have now... Trust, love, happiness, friends, persons like you who seem to really like me for what I am. Who understand me." – he stopped for a second, sighing and breathing deeply before continuing.

" It makes me think about two things, first how I never let myself slip in my agony and disappear in that darkness. And the other how I want to not let anyone have this kind of pain in their lives. I wasn't this all the time. When me, Sakura-chan and..." – he forced the name out of his mouth – "...Sasuke met each other I was an obnouxious bastard who only wanted the Hokage name to make the other aknowledge me... but now it's like I have much more. This thing that happened to him, it hurted me, even more than I want to admite. I liked him, like a... brother." – Naruto closed his eyes trying to avoid the tears – "that's why I want the Hokage title for me. I want to protect the ones I love. To protect my Precious people." - He looked at her, his eyes with a tear shining trying to run through his cheeks.

She observed him as he said his speech. It was like he wanted to say that to someone his entire life, and finally had the chance. Like he had just take a weight off his shoulders. But as quickly as he looked emotive he wiped the tears and made one of his trademark wide foxy grins and shouted out loud, making Hinata almost fall back in surprise and everyone in the street look at him.

"THAT'S WHY I WILL BECOME HOKAGE! AND I'LL DRAG THAT UCHINA'S SORRY ASS TO THE LEAF AGAIN AND KICK OROCHIMARU IN THE NUTS SOOOOOOO HARD THAT EVEN KABUTO WILL FEEL!" – he screamed throwing punches in the air as if both Sasuke and Orochimaru were there in front of him.

She smiled as an answer. That was Naruto after all.

"Hinata-chan." – he continued – "I'm telling you this because... I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm gonna with Ero-sennin travel and train to become stronger for three years. I think you needed to know, since you showed to be such a good friend."

Her smiled vanished as quickly as it appeared. Her eyes filled with surprise and sadness. Her arms dropped in surprise, and her head dropped while she fought not to let the tears appear. Naruto looked at her trying to understand what was going on. Hinata rose her head and a smiled was formed in her lips.

"I'll miss you Naruto-kun." – she said softly

He smiled in return and gave her another grin.

"Don't be sad Hinata. I'll be back and stronger than ever. It's only two or three years. We'll see each other again. It's a promise." – he smiled.

She continued to smile, even if in fact her desire was to cry. But he was right, it was only for a short period of time. Nothing more.

Then in a quick movement Naruto grabbed her right hand and laughed out loud. – "Now let's go. You don't want to be late for lunch, do you?" – She nodded, not blushing for the first time, even with her hand on Naruto's and both ran through the crowd in direction of the Hyuuga manor.

Meanwhile in the Hokage's office...

"Focus Sakura!"

Her voice was filled with strenght but empty of emotion, not that mattered for Sakura in that moment. She was more worried in revive the dead tuna fish in front of her. Tsunade's explanation for the problem was short and made it easy to understand, "you have to focus the right amount of chankra in your hands and make it flow through them as a million of different waves, all in the same frequency through the tuna's body.", then she placed her hand in the tuna and in a flash the fish was jumping crazily in the table, fighting to breathing. "Imagine the chakra flowing in millions of waves through your fingers. That should help". But it wasn't. The goddamn fish wouldn't revive.

Tsunade sighed – "What's worrying you Sakura?"

The pink haired Kunoichi stopped pressing the fish with her hands and lowered her head in frustration. – "In your normal days you would revive that fish quickly then Naruto would eat a bowl of Ramen" – She continued – "Is it Sasuke that's worrying you?".

"No." – Sakura answered

"Then what is it?" – Tsunade sitted in the couch and made a move with her hand invinting sakura to sit next to her.

Sakura turned around and faced her new sensei. – "Sensei, do you plan in teaching me medical jutsus only?" - Tsunade made a "What-do-you-mean-with-that" face. - "I mean... Naruto is leaving with Jiraya to become stronger. And Sasuke has that curse seal. I want to know... if your gonna teach me some taijutsu and ninjutsu too?" – By that time Inner Sakura was screaming and throwing punches in the air "I WANNA LEARN TO KICK SOME BUTT!"

Tsunade made a serious face and got up from the coach. For a moment Sakura thought that she was gonna yell at her, tell her to go away and forget the training. But the she walked the few steps from the coach to the stone tabloe where the dead fish was standing and speaked in a calm voice – "Relax. First things first Sakura, trust me. I know what I'm doing" – She placed a hand in the Tuna fish and a second after that he was alive and trying to breath. – "First, we take care of how to make things live." Then she placed a her index finger in the top of the table in a quick movement. A huge "THUD" was heard and next half of the table was in dust in the ground – "Then we take care of ways to end life" – She said with a smirk

A huge sweatdrop appeared in Sakura's head. – "wow" – she muttered while Inner Sakura smilled – "HOLY FUCK! I WANNA DO THAT TOO!"

Tsunade grinned – "Now back to the tuna fish"

(I'm sorry for the poor description of the Hyuugan manor, but I lack the terms for the japanese architecture, and finding them on the net will take lots of time. I'll correct it in another time)

The Hyuuga manor was built near the Konoha river, 2 km away from the main avenue, and consisted in a three floor squared building with the famous japanese ceilings, and a beautiful garden, with two sakura trees and a course of water running through him. The garden was closed by walls with 4 meters which connected directly with the walls of the ground floor. The ground floor consisted by the kitchen, the tea house and the hall, which holded the stairs to the second floor, and the entrance to the hot springs in the back of the building. The second floor helded two bathrooms and the bedrooms, Hinata's and Hinabi's were glued with Neji's in the left side of the building leaving the right side for Hiashi's. The third and last floor consisted in a huge library full of scrolls and books from literature to history books.

Naruto and Hinata arrived to the big gates of the Hyuuga manor by 12:30 of the morning, both breathing quickly because of their run through the city.

"I hope... that... you're not late... for lunch..." he said between quick breaths.

"I'm in time... thanks" – She answered.

They both laughed hapilly. – "I should be going now." – Naruto said – "I have to get lunch and go to Tsunade-bachan to know where I am heading with Ero-sennin tomorrow."

"Why are you leaving?" – a firm strong voice was heard behind him.

Both Naruto and Hinata turned around with the shock. But both relaxed with the sight of a familiar face.

"Neji-niisan" – Hinata smiled

"Ow! It's you." – Naruto said in relieve, something told him that if Hiashi saw him with Hinata he could not end in a good condition from that. – "I'm leaving with Jiraya to train."

"For how long?" – Neji's voice was strong but emotionless.

"Three years, why?" – Naruto flicked his eyebrows in curiosity. Neji was acting in a strange way. After a mission like the one they had, and after showing the confidence that he had in him when that creepy sound-nin attacked, it was a... unusual way of acting by Neji to be so cold. Well Neji was always cold, even more than Sasuke, but after what he said... This was just... Wrong.

Neji closed his eyes and directed his head to the ground, leaving both Naruto and Hinata confused.and looking at each other. What followed to this was as quick as a lightning, before Naruto could tell Neji was dashing towards him with his left hand pointed to his head, Naruto only had time to jump into Hinata's direction, grab her in an hug and roll through the ground avoiding Neji to strike him or his cousin. Putting himself up he screamed while helping a confused Hinata to stand up – "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND NEJI? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THINKING? YOU COULD HAVE HURT HER?"

"She wasn't my target and you know it." - He said while putting himself in the Gentle fist fighting style – "Now. Fight me."

"What do want with this?" – he asked with a confused tone in his voice

"Shut up, and fight me." – as he finished his sentence Neji dashed again now with his right arm pushed backwards ready to strike with his palm into Naruto's chest.

"HINATA LOOK OUT" – Naruto pushed Hinata away with his left arm and and flipped backwards as Neji executed a quick horizontal move missing Naruto by centimeters. Naruto backflipped twice gaining some distance from Neji and got ready for the battle. Neji stroke again diving with his right hand into Naruto's direction. Naruto shifted the weight of his body and aimed a spinning kick with his right leg into Neji's face, this one blocked with his left palm and in a quick movement kicked him in stomach with his left sole. Naruto flew a couple of meters away with the intensity of the kick.

"Get serious." – Neji said coldly – "And you... don't even think about it" – he said to Hinata who was decided to stop his cousin.

Naruto breathed twice trying to see through the pain in his stomach – "Dammit!" – He thought – "He's not joking." – But before he could think again Neji dashed again.

Meanwhile at a restaurant in the main avenue...

"CHOUJI HOLD ON!" – a shocked Ino screamed – "That is your twenty bowl of ramen!"

In one of the tables of the restaurant were Chouji, Ino, Shikamaru and Asuma eating... I mean seeing Chouji eating... I mean devouring ramen and many other dishes more quickly than Nee doing 1000 push-ups.

"He's trying to recover his lost time in the hospital. Hehe" – Shikamaru replied with a smile.

"So, when are Gaara and his brothers returning to their village? – Asked Asuma.

"Today, but now that you mention it I should be going. I need to o take care of some business before they go to their village. See ya around guys." – and with this he left.

"Business!" – Ino replied to Asuma – "What kind of business could he have?"

They both looked to the door as Shikamaru walked to the street. Their silence was broken by Chouji.

"Hey Asuma-Sensei. When we're done here... Let's go train." – he declared in a confident voice.

Both Ino and Asuma looked in a surprised face while Chouji slurped the last bits of ramen from his cup and ordered another five bowls.

Left, right, above, below, punch, kick, elbow. Neji's members flew in an impressive speed aiming to Naruto's nervous points. Naruto dodged as quickly as he could but Neji's palm caught him right in his left shoulder making him to lose his balance and being kicked by Neji's left heel in quick spinning kick.

Naruto fell in the ground with a large "THUD!" – "I... actually felt that..." – he thought, breathing quickly. He was going to rose up from the ground when a hand grabbed him and helped. Neji stood there in front of him with a serious face.

"What did you learn?" – he asked seriously

Naruto looked at him with a "What-the-fuck?" kind of face.

"What did you learn?" – Neji asked again.

"Wha... What do you mean with that?" – Naruto asked.

Neji sighed – "Naruto" – He replied in a calm tone of voice – "Listen to me. The way you reacted right now, is the reason why you'll never be able to return Sasuke back."

Naruto opened his eyes in shock. – "You lack discipline." – Neji continued – "You have the emotion, the anger, the fear, the love and all that things that make a person stronger, but you lack training, you lack ways to transform that emotions of yours into movements. When I attacked you back there it, did you realise how you reacted?" - Naruto nodded negatively. – "You didn't know what to do. You don't have a technique which you can call your own, a way to stop an attack, a way to counter-attack. You just have what we can call a "I-kick-your-ass-from-here-to-the-other-village" idea in your head. But there is a difference from having the idea and actually do it. Are you understanding me?"

Naruto looked in surprise to Neji's eyes – "No. Well... maybe... I mean... Kinda." – he replied.

Neji smiled like he was saying "you more dumb than a brick" and then replied – "Come with me".

Neji's room was as simple as you could imagine. A bed, a table with some scrolls, probably with some jutsus, a chair, a bedside table, a chest of drawers and a trunk. The room was large and the big window allowed the light to enter and dance between them.

Neji walked to the trunk and took two scrools from there which he handed to Naruto. He got them each in one hand. – "What is this?" – he asked.

"If you're gonna go after Sasuke you're gonna need this. I copied them from some old scrolls that Hiashi-Sama had in the library, they teach the basis of the Hyuuga fighting style, the stances, the use of chakra to speed your moves, the names of the strikes... However it doesn't teach you to concentrate the chakra in your members the way that the Hyuuga do or the clan's specialities like The _Kaiten_, that's reserved just for the clan. I hope you understand"

Naruto's mouth opened in disbelief with he heard Neji's words.

"The first one, the one in your right hand teaches you the stances and strikes, the second teaches you how to use the chakra. I hope they will help you in your training." – he said with a little smile.

Naruto glared at Neji, the to the scrolls, then to Neji again and with what voice was left he asked – "Why... Why are you giving me this?"

Neji smilled back at Naruto and turned around facing the window. The sun bathed him as he talked calmly – "When we fought in the Chuunin exam... You showed me that Destiny... Destiny is just a word. It's ourselves that create our Destiny. When I was recouvering after our fight Hiashi-Sama aproached me and told me the story of my father, the way how he died. He showed me that my father chose his death, that he twarthed his destiny of hatred. You helped me to leave the Darkness even without knowing, if there is someone who can bring Sasuke from there it's you. But first you need to get stronger, and that will only occur if you control the way you fight. Take that scrolls as a farewell gift. But remember that when you return... We will fight again, this time... As equals" – He turned around and faced Naruto with a happy smile in his face.

Naruto mouth was opened in disbelief. Hinata muttered – "Neji-niisan..."

Then in a quick movement Naruto walked the few steps between him and Neji and closed him in a hugh. Neji opened his eyes in surprise but recovered instantly and placed his right arm around Naruto's shoulder retrieving the hug.

Naruto looked into Neji's eyes and said in a confident voice – "Three years from now we will fight. It's a promise."

"A promise!" – Neji repeated. And they selead it with a hand-shake.

Hinata smilled by seeing both the persons he most loved becoming good friends right in front of him.

"Good luck on your trip, please send a message when you arrive to your village" – Shikamaru said.

"Worried about us cry baby?" – Temari said with a grin – "It's not like we're like you. We can protect ourselves" – she said smirking

Shikamaru looked to Temari which retrieved the look with a blink of her eye like saying "Love you too you big Baka".

"Send our regards to the Hokage again" – Gaara – "And yes, we'll send an eagle when we arrive". – Gaara bowed and started walking away.

Shikamaru bowed in respect to Gaara's answer, even if he couldn't see. He saw that Temari's eys were still looking at him and he stared back at her, just like if both of them were havin a mental conversation. It was Kankuru's voice which broke the link between them.

"Oh fer Christ sake, Get a room both of you." – and he start walking,

They both looked angrily to Kankuru as he walked away. – "I'm going now, take care of yourself cry-baby" – she turned her back to him and waved her left hand in goodbye as she walked after her two brothers.

Shikamaru looked as them disappeared in the middle of the forest and then muttered – "How troublesome you are."

Naruto arrived at his home by two o'clock pm. He hurried through the door and let the scrools on his kitchen table he quickly undressed his orange jacket and t-shirt and headed to the bathroom just to see someone set in his bed waiting for him.

"WWWWHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAA!" – he screamed in surprise – "Kakashi-Sensei! What the hell are you doing here"

The jounin smiled under his mask, not that Naruto couldn't notice thanks to the visible eye, which formed an arc in this ocasions. – "Nothing much, he said. I just passed by to give you this." – He handed him a small scroll – "It's a map of the villages, it0's for you to klnow where are you heading and how far from Konoha are you. Don't forget to wite okay? Now I must go, I need to report to Tsunade for a new mission. Train well and get stronger, okay." – he waved his hand and dissapeared in a puff of smoke leaving a confused Naruto standing in the middle of his bedroom.

A few moments later a soaked, warped around a towel Naruto appeared in the bedroom again. After a quick shower he headed to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of Ramen and devoured it. Five minutes later still wrapped around his towel he started packing his things, a few t-shirts, lots of underware, some of his training suits, which were all equal – "I think I need a change of visual" – he thought. Lots of bowls of Ramen, Neji's scrolls and Kakashi's map, as well as some other clean scrolls in a separate pocket. After this he dressed himself and rushed to meet Tsunade.

Meanwhile in the training grounds:

"758, 759, 800, 801, 802, 803..." – Lee scremed as he did his push-ups

"Lee... slo... slow... down..." – An exausted Gai asked as he tried to keep the pace with his student.

"WE MUST NOT SLOW DOWN GAI-SENSEI!" – Lee shouted – "IF WE CAN'T DO 1500 PUSH UPS THEN WE'LL RUN 7500 LAPS AROUND KONOHA STANDING ONLY ON ONE HAND"

Gai fell to the ground by hearing this. Sitted nest to a tree, juggling with three kunais were Tenten laughing with the situation.

By 2 and a half pm Naruto entered into Tsunade's office Jiraya was already there.

"Finally kid! I was thinking that you wouldn't arrive!" – Jiraya laughed.

"Shut up Ero-seenin! I was delayed by some..." – Naruto started to answer but was interrupted by Jiraya again.

"I know what you were doing..." – he said in whispers near Naruto's ear.

"You know?" – Naruto said with a little blush in his face.

"Yeah I know" – he said with a malicious grin in his face – "YOU WERE SPYING THE LADIES IN THE HOT SPRINGS WEREN'T YOU!"

Both Naruto and Tsunade fell to the ground in the most uber-cool Anime scene.

"WHO DO YOU THINK I AM YOU BIG PERVERT I'M NOT LIKE YOU!"

"Relax kid. That's one of the things I'll teach you. THE FINE ART OF PEEPING THE LADIES!"

"YOU WILL!" – Naruto screamed in joy – "I mean. SCREW YOU!"

"Ahem!" – A huge "POW" was heard and Jiraya fell to the floor with a punch thrown by Tsunade – "If you'll excuse me. I think we have somethings to settle or not?

Both Naruto and Jiraya nodded affirmatively with fear in their faces.

It was around 6 o'clock when Naruto left Tsunade's office. They pased the whole afternoon studying the best route to their journey. The sun started to fade away in the sky leaving it in tones of dark blue and sky blue in a beautiful painting.

Naruto ran through the city to Ichikaru's ramen to eat his dinner. It was visible that most of the villagers were now walking to their houses. Most of the young ninjas were at home by now or still training in the grounds. The lights started to appear in the streets and in people's home in response to the night which quickly invaded the city. 20 minutes after leaving Tsunade's office Naruto was standing near Ichikaru's ramen shop.

And he wasn't alone.

"Naruto" – a female voice called him.

"Sakura-chan!" – he said hapilly – "What are you doing here?"

"I came to say goodabye Naruto. I don't know if I'm gonna see you tomorrow, and I didn't want to go without giving you something as a goodbye gift." – She handed him a large paper package. – "You must promise me that you will only open it tomorrow, okay?" – she asked with a smile.

Naruto amde a confused face and answered – "Okay. Can you tell me what it is?"

"It's something I know you will like. Now I have to go. Train hard Naruto, because when you come back we will bring Sasuke back, together." – She affirmed with a convict voice.

He smiled back and replied –"Together!"

Then she hugged him and kissed him the cheeks leaving him breathless n the middle of the street.

The night passed quickly. Naruto slept a repairing sleep, and by ten 0'clock he was standing near the gates of Konoha waiting for Jiraya.

"Ready?" – a cheerfull voice talked behind him.

He turned around and faced Jiraya with a huge smile in his face.

"What's that smile for? Benn peeping some woman's room already?" – Naruto asked with his foxy grin.

"Nah! Maybe someday I'll tell ya." – With that he walked to the gates.

Naruto turned around and faced Konoha. The huge Mountain with the face of all the Village Kages. He looked to each one of them with a serious expresionn. The First and his black hair, the Second and his determined look, the Third the nice old-man, and the Fourth, the most adored shinobi that ever lived in that village. He closed his fist around the image of the Fourth and muttered – "Watch me."

"HEY KID ARE YOU COMING OR WHAT?" – Jiraya asked

"Coming" – Naruto answered and ran to his teacher disapearing in the woods...

Finnally an update. Dammit this took too long to write, I think it's crappy but anyway please read and review. The reason this is so long it's because I decided to try to tie most part of the loose ends. It still misses Kiba and Shino but I quited because it would take even more time to write them. Anyway please read an review.

And I promise in the next chapter the fun will begin...


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